A gifted healer with a genetic secret and a haunted past, Julie Hastings takes her new veterinary degree to South Dakota hoping to bury memories of a physically abusive stepfather and unprotective mother.

Although intending to lead a quiet life, she finds herself relentlessly pursued by two unwelcome suitors: the Chief of Police and a powerful member of the Sioux Indian Nation.

The man she chooses shatters her world-view.

Her stepfather taught her that not all monsters run on four legs. Now Julie must face another truth—some beasts are good.

Excerpt from “Touching the Moon” by Lisa M. Airey

Julie Hastings was hiking the Black Hills of South Dakota when she was unexpectedly caught up in a spring blizzard. She was rescued by a gentleman she knew, Gray Walker, a guidance counselor for the Sioux Nation. They weather the storm in his hunting cabin.

Despite a childhood of physical abuse, Julie trusts this man. And he proves himself trustworthy. In this scene, he expresses both his passion and his patience.

She awoke the next morning once again wedged against his chest, his arms wrapped around her indiscriminately, his face nuzzling her neck. She tried to slip out of bed, but his arms tightened as soon as he felt her move.

“I know you’ve been hurt,” he said quietly. “I’m very grateful that you trust me enough to let me hold you. I won’t betray that trust.”

She switched subjects. “It’s a brutal storm.”

“Uh huh.”

“Will it wash away the snow?”

He stilled. “Probably.”

“Might we make it into town?”

He squeezed her tightly. “I don’t know.”

“I’ve been missing for a while now. I’m sure they are wondering why I haven’t posted at work.”

“Where is your car?”

“In the parking area of the state park. I drove the day I hiked, just in case I needed to get back to the office.”

He rolled her onto her back and kissed her neck. She giggled and pushed him away. “They will start looking tomorrow,” he said.

“For what?”

“For you.”

He kissed her lips lightly. She didn’t pull back. In fact, she nestled in closer to him. “The rain will make a search possible. They’ll run your tags when they realize your car has been there for the duration of the storm. Officer Keating or one of his team does a daily cruise through the state park parking area, weather permitting. Your car would have been on the logbooks the day the storm started. They will be most distressed that it is still there almost a week later. They’ll initiate a search.”

He found her earlobe and tugged upon it with his teeth. He couldn’t help himself. She was so inviting. She squealed and wriggled free settling on her side, her head on his shoulder.

He pulled back and looked at her for a moment--deciding, then he pushed her onto her back and pinned her. He found her lips and gently parted them, kissing her tenderly. He felt her body stiffen…then relax as she opened to the experience and he was careful not to do anything that would cause her alarm. He kissed her slowly, deeply, hypnotically as the moon rose, large and luminous midst the storm clouds. He tasted her lips, caressed her back, ran his fingers lightly along the curves of her body. Her neck was warm, soft, delectable. He breathed deeply, squeezing her tightly, pressing his body against hers.

“Gray,’ she said, suddenly quite focused. He pulled back instantly, her scent warm within him. “I…”

He put a finger to her lips.

She listened to his heart hammer in his chest as he rested upon her and wondered if he could feel hers beating in syncopated rhythm. He kissed her once more, soft and chaste, then, he flipped her over like a rag-doll and spooned her, his arm encircling her waist protectively.

“I know, Julie.”

Lisa has worked in the wine industry for 20 years, the most recent eight in education with the Society of Wine Educators and the French Wine Society. In these roles, she has authored and/or edited wine study manuals and developed or expanded certification programs for the wine trade.

In her free-time, she writes fiction...naturally, with a glass of wine at the elbow.

She is a Maryland Master Gardener and puts that training into practice in her sizable vegetable garden. To assist her, she has recruited the services of a very helpful staff: two Chinese geese, two mini-Rex rabbits and 2,000 red wigglers (worms)…all of which are “master composters”. An adopted feral cat guards the perimeters and keeps the groundhogs at bay. She resides in Monkton, Maryland.

Synopsis

Rich, powerful, sexy. A man who thinks he has everything . . . until he meets Julia.

Julia Bennett:

Sweet, spontaneous, and desperate to sell her jewelry line in New York City. She takes a job as a night security guard to pay the rent.

Sparks fly when she mistakes her boss for an intruder.

He can’t get her out of his head. She can’t find the strength to deny him.

Will lies bring them together or tear them apart forever?

Exclusive excerpt for the tour

“Good morning, Julia,” Gio said, his voice warm and intimate.

She sat straight up in her bed and dropped the card. “Mr. Andrade.”

“We’re way beyond using last names and you know that.”

Protectively pulling down her nightgown to cover her knees, Julia said huskily, “About that. Thank you for the flowers, but—”

“Did I wake you?”

“No, the delivery did that,” she said, then felt bad that she sounded ungrateful. This wasn’t going as she’d planned.

“So, you’re not on your bed? I have an image in my head of you there, surrounded by those roses.”

The heat from a blush spread up Julia’s chest and warmed her cheeks. She knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help herself. She said, “I am on my bed.” Then she hastily added, “But only because it doubles as my couch.”

He groaned. “I refuse to sink low enough to ask you what you’re wearing, but if you want to describe it I won’t stop you.”

There was something irresistibly tempting about doing just that. Was it the knowledge that in that moment she had the same power over him that he had over her? The sense that he was fighting this as much as she was?

It proved too heady to resist. “I’m still in my nightgown.”

He let out a long breath. “If I were there it wouldn’t be on you for long. Take it off, Julia. For me.”

Her first response was to laugh and refuse, but his softly spoken order echoed through her and her body started humming with need for him. As she gave into it, it became impossible to deny him anything. She slid the nightgown over her head and lay back, fully naked on her bed. “It’s off,” she whispered.

The pained sound he made had her dripping wet and closing her eyes, imagining him there with her.

“Lick your thumb. Lick it, then circle one of your nipples. Imagine my tongue there. I wouldn’t be able to keep my mouth off you. What would you want me to do to them?”

What would have felt ridiculous with anyone else was somehow right with Gio. She did as he asked, gasped as the cold air tightened and puckered her nipple with pleasure. She imagined that her hand was his mouth. Her fingers were his teeth. She pinched herself lightly and moaned. “I’d want you to use your teeth gently. Like you did in your office. Tugging. Teasing. Oh, God, this is crazy.”

“You’re killing me, but don’t stop, Julia. I’m here with you. Right here. What would you want me to do? What do you like?”

She ran her hand up her neck and pushed her hair aside. “I love the feel of your hot breath on my neck, the feel of your lips claiming where I’m vulnerable.”

“I’ll remember that. I’ll start there and kiss my way down, slowly. I’ll kiss the curve of your waist, the silk of your thighs. I’ll want to dive into you, but I’ll make you wait until you’re writhing and begging for me to taste you.”

That would not take long, Julia almost said aloud.

“Are you wet for me, Julia?”

“Yes,” she said, giving herself to him fully in the safety of the situation. Her hand sought her own juices and she began to rub herself. “Oh, God, I am so wet.”

“Do you have a vibrator?” he asked and her hand froze.

I can’t tell him.

She did have one, but it was her guilty secret. One that she hadn’t even shared with her ex-boyfriend, even after sleeping with him.

“You do, don’t you? Are you shy about it? Sex is a natural part of life, Julia. There is nothing shameful about knowing how to please yourself. In fact, I want you more now. I want to watch you make yourself come. I want to lie next to you, caressing you as you bring yourself to climax. But for now, let me hear it. Take yourself to where we both want to go.”

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Author Bio: Ruth Cardello

NY Times and USA TODAY Bestselling Author of the Legacy Collection and the Texan Nights Series

Ruth Cardello lives on a small farm in Northern Rhode Island with her husband, three kids, three dogs, two horses, and some assorted chickens. If there is a happier place on Earth, she hasn't found it.

If you'd like to email her directly, you may contact her at Minouri@aol.com

Other books by Ruth Cardello

FREE!!!

Book 1: Maid for the Billionaire (Legacy Collection)

Dominic Corisi knew instantly that Abigail Dartley was just the distraction he was looking for, especially since having her took a bit more persuading than he was used to. So when business forces him to fly to China, he decides to take her with him, but on his terms. No promises. No complications. Just sex.

Abby has always been the responsible one. She doesn't believe in taking risks; especially when it comes to men - until she meets Dominic. He's both infuriating and intoxicating, a heady combination. Their trip to China revives a long forgotten side of Abby, but also reveals a threat to bring down Dominic's company. With no time to explain her actions, Abby must either influence the outcome of his latest venture and save his company or accept her role as his mistress and leave his fate to chance. Does she love him enough to risk losing him for good?

Nicole Corisi will lose her inheritance if she doesn't find a way around the terms of her father's will, but she will have to partner up with her estranged brother's rival to do it. As pretense becomes painfully real, Nicole will have to choose between Stephan and the family he is driven to destroy.

Stephan Andrade has been planning his revenge ever since Dominic Corisi unscrupulously took over his father's company. With Corisi Enterprises gambling its reputation on the success of a new software network for China, Stephan finally has his chance to take back his legacy. Dominic's younger sister, Nicole, asks Stephan for his help and provides him with an opportunity to exact his revenge on a personal level.

It all goes smoothly until he falls in love.

Book 3: Bedding The Billionaire (Legacy Collection)

Lil Dartley's life is upside down. Her previously steadfast and predictable sister is marrying an influential billionaire and needs help planning the wedding of the century in less than a month. Years of middle class rebellion have not prepared Lil for handling diplomats or paparazzi.

Jake Walton knows a train wreck when he sees one. Lil was trouble from the first day he met her, but since her sister is marrying his best friend, he has no choice but to help her or this wedding will be in the news for all the wrong reasons. Teaching Lil how to fit into high society would be a whole lot easier if she didn't drive him insane both in and out of the bedroom

Book 4: Saving The Sheikh (Legacy Collection)Rachid bin Amir al Hantan is fighting for the sovereignty of his small country. He needs to find some powerful allies - and fast. Attending the wedding of Dominic Corisi is as much about reconnecting with old friends as it is about celebrating nuptials. The last thing he needs right now is the distraction of a woman.Zhang Yajun is a self-made billionaire who can’t believe she accepted her friend’s dare to kiss Sheikh Rachid before the end of the wedding.When impulsive words lead to even more impulsive actions, these two will discover that sometimes the last thing you were looking for is the one thing that can save you.

Book 5: Rise Of The Billionaire (Legacy Collection)

Dreaming of Alethea gave Jeremy Kater the strength to survive a difficult childhood. Now that he has influential friends who owe him some big favors, he’s determined to become the kind of man Alethea would be interested in: rich and dangerous. Jeisa Borreto was hired to help Jeremy morph into that man. It’s a job she would enjoy, if it weren’t tearing her heart to pieces.How can she help him change once she’s realized she’s fallen in love with the man he’s always been?

Hint: Sleeping with him doesn't help

Breaching the Billionaire: Alethea's Redemption(Book 6 of the Legacy Collection)

Alethea is at a crossroad. For as long as she could remember, it was her and her best friend, Lil, against the world. Now that Lil has met Prince "I have my own helicopter" Charming and reconnected with her family, Alethea is on the outside looking in, justifying who she's always been to people who have never understood her. When she uncovers a looming threat to Lil's family, she's determined to save them, even after they tell her not to get involved and assign their best man to stop her. Marc Stone has been watching Alethea ever since she waltzed through his security system and right into his late night fantasies. As a decorated Marine, he's seen war, but nothing could prepare him for this wild redhead. Strong. Beautiful. Flawed, and fiercely protective. Hard to love, and impossible to deny.

If she'll stop fighting him long enough, he'll show her just how perfect they are for each other. That is, if she doesn't get them both killed first.

Tommy Blade is a man with a secret. It’s a secret he only shares with one person, Jessi Blade – and the men he surrenders to in the bedroom. Jessi’s only condition to their tumultuous sex life is that the men are one night stands. But when Angel Garcia enters their life, it’s like a match to gasoline.

Mega-talented punk rock singer Angel Garcia, with his smoldering ebony eyes, tight leather pants and unstoppable stage presence, is a man who is used to getting what he wants. He has his eyes set on Tommy Blade as his new lead guitarist, and as his life partner.

Jessi Blade, sympathetic to her husband's bisexual needs, loves him enough to share him, but she never counted on Angel Garcia to test the threshold of her marriage. He makes her life hell . . . and heaven. He’s her damnation and her salvation. She wants to hate him. She wants to despise him. But his charm and raw sex appeal are impossible to resist. Without warning, she finds herself falling in love with her husband's gay lover.

At the height of it all, their punk rock band catapults to stardom.

Their lives are marred by secrecy, deception and sacrifice. Feelings of betrayal, backlash from the sensationalistic media and threats of blackmail send them down a hard road filled with tough decisions.

They aren't your ordinary rock stars. They're radical rock stars. And they have a big story to tell.

Character bios:

Tommy Blade: Guitar god. Rising star. Blond Adonis. A man with a secret. In control of everything in his life. A hard rock guitar player with no intention of changing bands or the genre of the music he loves to play – until he meets mega-talented punk rock singer Angel Garcia. Once they meet, it’s like a match to gasoline. He struggles to find the balance between the woman he loves and the man who sets his soul on fire. He leaves his hard rock roots behind, and becomes The Prince of Punk Rock.

Jessi Blade: Rocker chick. Fashionista. Determined. Strong-willed. Clothing designer. Her loyalty to Tommy is steadfast and she guards his secret. Dedicated to the band. She’s trying to make a name for herself as a fashion designer, but she can’t tear herself away from the limelight of the stage long enough to launch her rock and roll clothing line. Her day to day life is what most people dream about. Fiercely loyal to Tommy, but falling hard for Angel Garcia. She always knew Tommy needed man in his life, and she loves him enough to share him, but she’s not going to take a back seat anyone.

Angel Garcia: Born superstar. Destined for fame. A showman. Sex personified. Perfectionist. A hopeless romantic. He has a voice that can shatter glass and bring you to your knees. He feeds off the energy of the crowd like a drug. A soux chef in his family’s restaurant by day, a punk rock sensation by night. He’s a man who knows what he wants and goes after it – and he wants Tommy Blade.

Excerpt:

The faces changed since the last time he was there, but the intention was still the same. It wasn’t a place to socialize or partake in camaraderie or drop in for a drink on your way home. It was meeting place for men interested in casual sex. The backroom served as a shanty for a quick encounter. You could stop in, get your rocks off and be on your way in half an hour. It was a smorgasbord of testosterone, a buffet of muscle and beefcake.

Men flocked around him as soon as he walked through the door. They always did. A guy once told him that it was the mixture of his rugged jaw and strong upper body, offset by the innocence of his big blue eyes that made him so attractive. The ladies always said it was his long blond hair and the guitar.

About the Author:

Jenna Galicki

Jenna Galicki is a strong advocate for LGBT rights and marriage equality. She volunteers with God's Love We Deliver, delivering meals to people with HIV and AIDS and other life threatening illnesses. She actively raises money and participates in AIDS Walk New York and is a proud sponsor of Children International.

She lives in Long Island, NY with her husband and three dogs. She's a Rottweiler enthusiast and an avid music buff. Elaborate stories and fictional characters are her constant companions. When she's not hunched over a computer breathing life to these strong souls through the written word, you can find her front row at a rock concert.

Hailed as Will & Grace meets Sex & the City, follow two best friends, a gay man and a straight woman, as they endure heartbreak, jealousy and tragedy while searching to find someone to love who can handle their intense bond.

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